The neck is one of the body parts most susceptible to sports-related injuries. Strong, well-developed neck muscles can help protect an athlete's neck and spine against injury, especially in sports such as wrestling, martial arts, and other contact sports. One of the most common neck exercises is called the “wrestler's bridge.” It is performed by an athlete lying on his back (supine) on an exercise surface such as a floor or exercise mat, then arching his back and placing the soles of his feet on the surface, while simultaneously supporting the weight of his body with his head, neck, and feet. This uses the weight of the athlete's body as resistance against the muscles of the neck. The wrestler's bridge may also be performed from a prone, or stomach-down, position using the head and feet or knees to support the body. Once in the bridge position, the athlete may change the resistance level and direction by rocking his hips, or by rolling his head in one direction or another to work the muscles of the neck. The bridge is a particularly effective and relatively safe exercise because it uses the athlete's own body weight as resistance, lowering the chance of injury while exercising, and because in the bridge position, the neck is forced to provide stability to the body, providing a more effective workout than that offered by a simple resistance motion in one direction.
There are various mechanical devices intended to assist an athlete in strengthening the neck muscles. These devices may use pulleys, collars, and external weights to apply resistance to the motion of the athlete's neck. Such devices are typically large, expensive, and often work the neck muscles in only one plane of motion. The use of external weights also increases the chance of injury through overexertion during the exercise. Because of this, such devices are typically not suitable for home use, and do not provide a complete workout for all the muscles in the neck. A need exists, therefore, for an easy-to-use and inexpensive device that allows a user to perform a complete workout on the muscles of the neck.